Former Newcastle United midfielder Yohan Cabaye has lifted the lid on how close he came to joining Arsenal and why he felt he had to go on strike after a move broke down. Arsene Wenger's side made a £10million bid for the French playmaker on the eve of the Magpies Premier League curtain raiser against Manchester City in 2013.
Then Newcastle boss Alan Pardew spoke out about the disrespectful approach from the Gunners. Cabaye was one of the standout performers during his time in a black and white shirt, helping the Magpies reach the Europa League Quarter-Final where they were knocked out of the competition by Benfica.
"It was quite close," Cabaye told Four Four Two when asked about a move to Arsene Wenger's side. "Arsenal put a bid on the table. The deal [when I signed for Newcastle] was, ‘OK, you come and we’ll see how you adapt.
